


Honor to Us All

by wahtah



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha Castiel, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Mulan Fusion, Battle, M/M, Matchmaking, Military (ish) Training, Mulan AU, Omega Dean, deancasweek14, mentions of mpreg
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-15
Updated: 2014-04-30
Packaged: 2018-01-15 17:44:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1313650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wahtah/pseuds/wahtah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In order to protect his little brother, omega Dean Winchester disguises himself as an Alpha and goes to fight in the war against the invading armies of Queen Abaddon. With his only help being the Family Angel Gabriel, Dean has to navigate the treacherous conditions of the training camp and the battle--all while trying to keep his identity a secret. Of course, it doesn't exactly help the situation that his commanding officer, Castiel demands nothing short of perfection. Dean would like nothing more than to hate the guy--but he just so happens to have the most intoxicating scent. </p><p>Mulan Fusion. Written for DeanCasWeek14.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Matchmaker

**Author's Note:**

> So, I went from never reading A/B/O fics (because I didn't understand anything about it at first), to reading ALL the DeanCas fics in that genre--to now writing one of my own. Perils of a fangirl, I suppose. 
> 
> I will do my best to update this regularly. However, I should warn that I am also working on my Master's Thesis at the moment and so, at times this fic will have to be placed on the back burner. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy reading this. Comments and Kudos are always appreciated!

“Remember Dean, you must be polite! Miss Naomi will only be in town for a week, and she will not return for a whole year—so this is your only chance, omega. Don’t squander it.”

Linda Tran spoke stiffly to her charge as she tutted at his appearance. She had been fussing for the past ten minutes trying to smooth out his shirt, flatten his hair and pick at the dirt under his fingernails—all at the same time.

Dean Winchester scowled at Mrs. Tran, his face the very picture of misery. “I heard you the first twenty times Mrs. Tran. This is the only opportunity of my life. If I don’t get matched up with a good mate today, my life is over and I am doomed to live as a spinster omega for the rest of my life---hey! OW!”

Dean’s sarcastic tirade was cut off by a quick slap to the head by Mrs. Tran. “Don’t you take that tone with me Winchester” she said, sternly. “You think you’re the first omega to dread matchmaking day? You’ll get through this day just like all the omegas before you did—and you’ll do it with a polite smile on your face.”

All at once, it seemed as if all of the fight slipped from Dean’s body. He curled in on himself, trying to make himself look as small as possible. “I’m sorry Mrs. Tran. I will be good. I promise…It’s just…I hate this, you know?” He looked up at her, green eyes full of sorrow and frustration. “I hate that just because I’m an omega I have to give up everything I’ve ever loved to play house for some jumped-up alpha. That I have to let him have complete control over my life and my body—and..I…”

Dean tapered off, unsure of how to even voice all the doubts and frustrations that had plagued him ever since he fully understood what it really meant to be an omega. He looked up at Mrs. Tran, expecting another meaningless platitude about ‘duty’ and ‘honor’ that he’d been constantly listening to for the past few months. However, he was surprised to see a look of understanding in the older woman’s face.

 “Dean, I am an omega. Your mother is an omega. Can you ever picture an alpha ordering either of us around? Making us do something we don’t want?”

She smiled as Dean shook his head quite vehemently. He could never imagine either Mrs. Tran or his mother bowing down to an alpha. Both women had lost their husbands to the war against Queen Abaddon. Dean’s father had died when he was four years old, and little Sammy was just a baby. Mr. Tran had passed away not long after that. The two single mothers found a source of strength and support in each other.

The elders in their village had tried to convince the women to remarry, but Mary and Linda were adamant in the belief that they were more than capable of raising their children and earning an income at the same time. Mary came from a long line of Hunters—a life that she’d given up after her marriage to John. But now she ventured out into the forests surrounding their village every week, bringing with her the spoils of her hunt.

Before his death, Mr. Tran had owned a small general store in town. Linda had now taken over running the place, selling the meat that Mary brought in. It was a good system, and it worked well for both women. As children, it was not uncommon for Dean and Sam to be found running about the store with Linda’s son, Kevin while their mom was out hunting. And when Linda was busy with accounting and inventory, Mary was more than happy to watch little Kevin.

It had taken the villagers some time to get used to these new arrangements. When Dean was little, he could remember some of the older, more conservative folk looking down their noses at him because he was the son of that ‘upstart omega’ who thought she could be the provider for her family. However, it soon became very clear that Mary and Linda were an integral part of the town’s economy and their way of life was accepted by a majority of the townsfolk.

When Dean had first presented as an omega, Mary couldn’t have been happier. While it was true that omegas were predominantly female, a male omega wasn’t unheard of. In fact, a long time ago, male omegas were considered to bring great honor to the family, because they had the ability to give birth to strong alpha children. In more recent times, this practice of honoring the male omega had all but fallen at the wayside. Now, male omegas were looked at as little more than birthing factories to continue the family line.

As a result, the practice of matchmaking became an integral part of their way of life. When an omega came of age, they would meet with a Matchmaker who would assess their worth and find them the ‘perfect Alpha husband.’ Or at least, that was the claim. Dean had heard horror stories of omegas being sent to homes where they were used by their Alphas until they became pregnant and gave birth to a child—at which point, they were tossed aside. This of course, was the root of all of Dean’s anxieties about his own meeting with the Matchmaker Naomi.

Since they lived in a relatively small village on the border, Naomi would only visit them once or twice a year. Dean had one shot to make a good impression with her—one impression that could possibly determine his entire future.

Before Dean’s thoughts could spiral down into imagining the worst case scenarios, Linda Tran spoke up again. “Dean, just because you’re an omega doesn’t mean that you have no control—either over your life or your body. But marriage is not a terrible thing either…”

Dean’s scoff of disbelief was countered with a glare, and Mrs. Tran continued to speak as if never interrupted. “My time with Mr. Tran was some of the best of my life. I am more than happy with the life I’ve created for myself. I have Kevin, you boys and Mary…but sometimes, I do miss having my alpha around. When you find that alpha that’s right for you Dean—it’s the most beautiful feeling in the world.”

“And alphas aren’t as terrible as your imagination is making them out to be. I’ve heard the same stories as you have Dean—I know what _could_ happen. But your own brother is an alpha—do you think Sammy would ever treat his omega is such a way?”

“Hell, no! No freaking way.” Dean cried out. Sammy would _never_.

“Exactly.” Mrs. Tran replied, smugness in her tone. “So, maybe you’ll find an alpha that will respect you—and if you ever feel like you’re being mistreated—then, I think both me and Mary have taught you how to take of yourself, no?”

“Besides, any alpha that would dare hurt you would have to go through me first…”

Dean’s head whipped around at the sound of his mother’s voice.

Mary Winchester stood leaning against the door, her soft, blond hair framing her face. She had walked in just in time to hear Linda comforting her older son. She could hardly believe that Dean was already old enough to go see the Matchmaker. Her heart went out to the boy. After all, she could remember how nervous she had been for her own meeting. Luckily, the alpha that was perfect for her had turned out to be the one that she had already fallen in love with—the local boy, John Winchester.

“Hey, mom!” Dean said, as he moved forward to wrap her into a hug. He took in a deep breath, taking comfort in the familiar scent of cinnamon, apple pie and pine needles that always hung about her.

“Hey baby.” Mary replied, petting the top of his head. “I’m sorry I’m late, but I think Linda did a good job getting you ready. You look gorgeous sweetheart.”

“Thanks, Mom.” Dean said. He glanced back at Linda who was watching the pair with a smile on her face, “And thanks Mrs. Tran. You always know just what to say.”

“Yes, yes…” Linda said, dabbing at the corner of her eyes. “Now, we better get going—you don’t want to be late for the Matchmaker!”

“Where’s Sammy? And Kevin?” Dean asked, as he took one last glance in the mirror. He was wearing his favorite forest-green tunic and black trousers. His hair was tousled up neatly, and he wore his father’s dagger on his belt. It was a simple ensemble, but Dean didn’t want to overdo it and insisted on the plain clothing.

“They’re going to meet you after—they didn’t want you to be distracted.” Mary said.

“Oh…” Dean couldn’t help but be a little disappointed. “I could use a distraction right about now…Alright, let’s do this thing!” 

 

* * *

 

 

Dean did his best not to fidget as he stood in line, his shoulders bowed and eyes down. He was fighting the temptation to look up at Naomi, as the formidable alpha woman walked down the line of omegas, all in a similar position.

This was the first step of the whole process, where the Matchmaker gives all the omegas of age a once-over. Kevin had told Dean that it was very important for him not to move at all—because the Matchmaker would take that as a sign that he was undisciplined. Kevin had read everything that he could get his hands on about the way omegas were supposed to behave for this ordeal and had inundated Dean with those facts until it was all Dean could think about. Now he only had to put that knowledge to use.

Naomi cleared her throat, and spoke loudly so that all those who had gathered in the village square to support the omegas could hear her. “It is an honor for an omega to be matched with the alpha that will protect and care for them. In return the omega must obey their future husband and in-laws. A good omega will always carry themselves with a sense of dignity, refinement and poise. It is your job to do everything that is expected of you, without complaint—and sometimes to rise above those expectations!”

“I don’t believe you are all such perfect omegas—but I’m sure you all have something that we can work with. Now, I will meet with each of you individually to determine your matches…Let us begin with…hmmm…Dean Winchester!”

“Here!” Dean said, lifting up his head to look at Naomi, a bright smile on his face. The smile however, faltered at the frown that Naomi threw his way.

“Speaking without permission…” Naomi said, marking something down on the paper that she carried with her.

“Oops.” Dean muttered to himself, lowering his head once again. He followed Naomi into the inn that she stayed at during her brief visits to their village. The entire area, which was usually teeming with people, had been emptied out for Naomi’s use.

The alpha gestured for Dean to sit opposite from her. Dean waited for Naomi to sit down first, before taking a seat himself—he remembered at least that much from Kevin’s training. Naomi sniffed in approval, before her face shifted into a frown again. Dean was starting to think that was her permanent state.

“You’re quite muscular for an omega, aren’t you?” she said, scribbling something down on the paper. “Bowlegged, which will appeal to some of the alphas—but not sure if those hips are wide enough. Hmm, might make for difficult births.”

Dean wasn’t sure if he was supposed to answer Naomi. Perhaps he should defend his hips? He felt a spark of irritation begin to build up as his body was catalogued in such a manner, but tried to squash it down. It wouldn’t help anything to get angry.

“Pretty enough to look at, I suppose. Those lips will certainly earn you some points.” Naomi continued, oblivious to Dean’s ire. “Now, I suppose it’d be too much to expect that you’re still a virgin? I know it’s all the rage these days for omegas to flaunt themselves before the Matchmaking ceremony.”

“Ahem…I uh…I haven’t really…I mean, I’ve kissed a few…but…uh…”

Naomi’s eyebrows shot up in astonishment. “Well…well, well, well. This is a nice surprise. Don’t see too many omegas saving themselves like that anymore. Very good. This will be very good for you indeed. You know, I had thought that with who your mother is and everything you’d be a tough candidate, but I think we may have something to work with here!”

Dean felt a chill down his back at Naomi’s words. “What do you mean who my mother is?” he asked, his voice measured.

“Oh you know…the way she parades around like a Hunter—no Alpha around. Always cavorting with that Tran woman. I tried, you know. I found both of them perfectly good matches after the deaths. But they said they didn’t _want_ another Alpha! Can you believe it?! The nerve of some folk. But you’ll be a good omega for your match won’t you, child? I can just tell! Thank goodness your mother didn’t—”

“SHUT UP!” The anger that had been bubbling just under the surface came to full steam the longer Naomi continued to speak, until Dean simply couldn’t take it anymore.

“Excuse me, omega?” Naomi said, her voice razor sharp. “Did you just tell me to shut up?”

“You have NO RIGHT to speak about my mom that way!” Dean fumed, “She has done everything for me, and she didn’t NEED an alpha do it! She and Mrs. Tran have taught me that just because I’m an omega don’t mean I have to roll over and present to every alpha that comes in here! They taught me that I deserve respect!”

Naomi stood up from her seat and suddenly she seemed to be towering over Dean. He could smell the rage coming off her in waves, and was struck with a sudden desire to bare his throat in submission. He quickly shook away that thought. He would _not_ let himself be cowed by this awful woman and her bigoted views.

“I thought you had a chance, omega.” Naomi said, “I thought despite your upbringing, I might be able to find an alpha willing to put up with you—but it is clear to me now that you will NEVER be the perfect omega. You will NEVER find a husband. You bring _nothing_ but DISHONOR on your family! NOW GET OUT!”

Dean didn’t need to be told twice. He might have let his anger fuel his tirade, but Naomi’s scent had turned dangerous, and his instincts screamed at him to flee. He ran out of the room, and out into the square.

He was brought to a halt as he realized that all the faces in the courtyard were staring straight at him. From the looks of pity and sadness that he could read on most of them, he gathered that they had all heard what Naomi had screamed at him. Dean could feel his eyes begin to water, but tried his best to blink them back. He was _not_ going to turn into a blubbering, helpless omega.

_Pull yourself together Winchester. Just until you get home._

He looked out into the crowd, searching for the familiar faces of his mother or Mrs. Tran. All of a sudden, Dean was hit with the smell of Alpha—but this one didn’t make him fearful, because it was the familiar scent of his little brother. Dean turned just in time to catch an armful of Sammy, who had all but barreled into him, enveloping him into a hug. Over Sam’s shoulder, Dean could see the worried faces of his mother, Linda and Kevin Tran.

Dean closed his eyes, letting the warmth of Sam surround him completely. He needed to get out of here. He needed to go _home_.

As if he heard his thoughts, Sam finally pulled away from his brother, giving him the patented puppy dog eyes. “Come on, Dean. Let’s get you home.”


	2. The Summons

Dean didn’t really remember much of the walk home. In fact, if it hadn’t been for Sammy’s vice-like grip on his arm, leading him down the road, he might have just walked in circles. Despite his best efforts to take comfort in the familiar scents of his family, Dean couldn’t help but replay Naomi’s words in his head over and over again.

_You will NEVER be the perfect omega._

_You will NEVER find a husband._

_You bring **nothing** but DISHONOR on your family!_

It was as if Naomi had dug straight into his mind to pull out his deepest fears and threw them in his face—shouted them out for the whole town to hear. Now they would all know that Dean Winchester just wasn’t good enough.

As soon as they reached home, everyone except for Dean sprang into action by some sort of silent agreement. Once he ensured that Dean was settled down in his favorite seat by the fireplace, Sam got to work stoking the fire so that it was blazing and radiating heat through the house.

Kevin busied himself in the kitchen, making a warm cup of tea for Dean. He knew that Dean wasn’t much a tea-drinker, but he did indulge in the cinnamon flavored brew every so often. Mrs. Tran disappeared into the bedroom only to return with a large pile of blankets, most of which she wrapped around Dean, until he was almost cocooned in them. The rest of the blankets were spread out on the floor by Dean’s chair, and were quickly occupied by Sam, Kevin and Linda.

Mary gave everyone a tired, but thankful smile before occupying the space beside Dean, and curling herself up around him. When Dean was very young, before Sammy had been born, the two of them used to curl up by the fireplace all the time while Mary read him stories. Now that he was all grown up, it was a tighter fit in that same chair, but Mary simply pressed herself closer to her son, allowing him to melt into her embrace. She ran her fingers through his hair, softly pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

“M-mom…I’m so sorry…” Dean whispered into her shoulder. “I-I didn’t mean to go off on her like that…you must be so disappointed…”

“Hush now, sweetheart.” Mary said, “You could never, _ever_ disappoint me, Dean.”

“But you heard what Naomi said—and I’m no good if I can’t be matched to an Alpha. Now what am I supposed to do?!”

“Dean, you are so much more than what Naomi thinks of you. I should have known that woman would hold a grudge against me. I’m—I’m sorry baby. I wish you didn’t have to go through that—but I want you to know that Naomi could not be more wrong—any Alpha would be _lucky_ to have you.”

He wasn’t sure he quite believed her, but the words sounded so nice. He felt safe and warm in his mother’s embrace. And he was so grateful that his family wanted to be there for him, that they wanted to comfort him. Dean closed his eyes, and tightened his grip around Mary’s body.

“I love you, Mom”

“I love you too, baby.” Mary replied, “Now, sleep and remember that the Angels are watching over you.”

 

* * *

 

The next few days seem to blur together for Dean. Mostly he remembers the pitying looks that he receives from the townspeople. Those looks that always sent him spiraling into the depths of his own convoluted thoughts—until he was pulled out by Mary, Mrs. Tran, Sammy or Kevin. The strength that he was able to draw from his family was immeasurable and Dean didn’t think he could be more thankful.

A little more than a week after Naomi’s visit to the village, Dean was out in the marketplace getting some last minute shopping done. He wanted to make his family dinner as a way of thanking them for their unconditional support over the last few days. As he browsed through the stalls, he heard the unmistakable thundering of hooves, riding fast down the cobblestones.

Almost everyone in the market froze up, their heads whipping around towards the source of the commotion. They saw a group of riders making their way down the main street, and coming to an abrupt halt in the square. The riders and their horses were all heavily armored, and one of the riders carried the banner of the King. These were definitely royal emissaries then, and Dean knew that this could only bring bad news.

All thoughts of shopping forgotten, Dean followed the crowd as they all gathered in the town square. It seemed a few of the riders rode through the side streets of the town, because quite soon, most of the population of the village was present. After a quick scan of the crowd, Dean spotted his family and waved them over to him.

“Dean! Do you know what’s going on?” Kevin asked as they made their way over to him.

It seemed Kevin wasn’t the only one asking, because the sound of chatter in the crowd was starting to increase, as friends and neighbors tried to find out if they had any information. All the while, the riders remained quite impassive, not even removing their helms to show their faces. Dean could smell the potent stench of something purely _Alpha_ rolling off them. He knew that most groups of royal emissaries were made up of Alphas and Omegas, in order to make them seem approachable to all citizens. But this group was all Alpha—which could only mean one thing— _military._

The last time the military had sent out envoys to their town, his father and Mr. Tran and many other young Alphas had been conscripted to the war against Queen Abaddon—never to return again. The battle that took John Winchester’s life was also the one that had essentially ended the war. There were a few skirmishes after, which mostly helped to completely drive Abaddon’s forces out of their lands.

Dean was told that John had been very courageous in battle—everything an Alpha should have been. He had single-handedly taken out all three of Abaddon’s chief commanders in one-on-one combat, despite sustaining several wounds which later turned fatal. His name was still spoken of with reverence by the Alphas who did make it home from that battle.

But all that happened almost fourteen years ago. Dean wanted to know why the military delegates were in their town _now_.

As if on cue, the tall Alpha in the middle of the group urged his horse forward and lifted up his visor. He was an older man, with graying hair, but held himself up with the self-importance of a commanding officer. When he spoke to the crowd at large, Dean couldn’t help but feel that his voice had a sort of nasally quality that he immediately disliked.

“Citizens! I am Zachariah of the Family Adler. It is my unfortunate position to inform you all of some terrible, terrible news. It seems that Queen Abaddon has been quietly gathering her forces ever since her last defeat. Just a week ago, she attacked one of the castles near the border of our kingdom and thus, declared war--!”

The rest of Zachariah’s sentence was drowned out by the sounds of uproar and general distress from the crowd. Dean himself could barely fathom the idea of war breaking out once again over the land.

“Quiet! QUIET PLEASE!” Zachariah shouted, as his horse shied nervously back and forth. “As I was saying, Queen—or as she should be called, the Usurper Abaddon has declared open war upon our kingdom and it is our duty to defend our land against her forces. Thus, as it has been decreed in the past, the army requires each family to send forth an able-bodied Alpha of age to fight for their country—”

Once again, Zachariah was cut off by the crowd. Shouts of “NO!” and “Not again!” rang through the crowd. Dean found himself gripping tightly to Sammy’s arm, as if to physically hold him back. Sam had just turned sixteen that year, and thus was of age to fight in His Majesty’s army, should he be called upon.

Dean looked into the pale faces of his mother and Mrs. Tran. Kevin was an omega, like Dean and thus would not be called upon. But Sammy…

 _No_.

This couldn’t be happening.

Dean wouldn’t _allow_ this to happen.

Once the riders had managed to get the crowd under control once again, Zachariah continued, with a slight sneer on his face. “It is a great honor to serve the King and to protect the people as part of the army. Each family should take pride in the Alpha who is selected to be a part of this fight!”

He held out his arm and one of his associates placed a scroll in his hand. “I will now read off the names of each family and the Alpha to be conscripted. If another Alpha in that household should wish to take the place of the eldest, they may do so at this time. Once chosen, you have until the close of the week to report to the training camp you’ve been assigned to—failure to report to duty will result in _death_ and dishonor upon your family!”

With that grave pronouncement, Zachariah began to read out the names of all the different families that lived in town. Many of the younger Alphas volunteered in the place of their fathers, who had already survived the first war. The town had only two female Alphas, both of whom stepped up to join the battle. Dean couldn’t help but note the sneer of derision that Zachariah sent their way. Some male alphas found the concept of female alphas to be a ridiculous concept. Dean gripped tighter onto Sammy’s arm, his fingernails digging in, but his brother never complained. He looked too much to be in shock to say much of anything.

Finally, Zachariah called out, “The Family Winchester! Samuel Winchester is the Alpha of age is he not?”

Sammy, who had never looked younger, stepped forward pushing out his chest, “Yes, sir! I will represent the Family—“

“ _Sammy! No!”_ Dean cried out, unable to hold back any longer. He stood next to his brother, and looked up into Zachariah’s face. “Please, sir, he’s only sixteen—I will go in his place! _Please…”_

Zachariah reined back in annoyance, “You?!” he cried out, “Why I can smell the stink of _omega_ all over you—and you’d be nothing but a distraction on the battlefield. We need strong, capable _alphas_ you child, now get back before you embarrass your brother any further!”

 Dean drew himself up in anger, “Listen you pompous little—”

“Dean, please! Stop it.”

Dean looked back at his little brother in shock. “But Sammy—”

“It’s Sam, Dean. I’m old enough now, and I can—I’m _supposed to_ do this.” He replied. “I’m sorry about my brother, Commander. I will be representing the Family Winchester.”

Zachariah nodded a look of smug satisfaction on his face. “Very well. And you would do to keep your omega under control.” He passed down a scroll into Sam’s waiting hands. “Here is where you will report by the end of the week.”

He looked up and spoke to crowd at large once again, “I repeat that all Alphas MUST report to their assigned training camps by the end of the week. You may bring your own weapons and horse if you wish. Reserve weapons shall be provided for those who do not own any.”

Satisfied that his work in their town was complete, Zachariah ordered for his troops to move out and the riders disappeared in a cloud of dust. There was an air of solemnity among the town as they all slowly made their way back to their own houses and prepared to say goodbye to their family members.

Linda and Kevin wanted to go to their own house, hoping to give the Winchesters some time alone to talk, but Mary wouldn’t hear of it. _You’re family too_ was all she said, before inviting them in.

Mary went into the bedroom that she once used to share with her husband, before returning with a beautifully crafted sword and some chainmail.

“These belonged to your father.” She said, laying them out in front of Sam. “I guess they’re yours now.”

Sam ran a reverent hand over the weaponry, before turning away from it. Instead of picking up the sword or trying on the armor, Sam wrapped himself around Dean, squeezing him into a hug. “I’m so sorry Dean. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I never should have said that in front of Zachariah—but I didn’t want him to think I was weak…I’m sorry!”

Mary watched with tears in her eyes as her two sons crumpled against each other. “It’s okay, Sammy. It’ll be okay. You’re gonna kick ass and come home a hero or something, you’ll see…”

After some more words of comfort and a few more hugs to go around, it was determined that it would be best of Sam set off sometime the next afternoon. The training camp he was assigned to was pretty close to the border, and it would take him at least a two day journey to get there, which meant he would have to leave as soon as possible in order to make it on time.

That night, Dean ended up making that special dinner that he had planned—but for a much more somber occasion. The Trans finally left somewhere close to midnight, promising to be back the next morning to see Sam off. Mary and her boys sat up for a bit longer by the fireplace, generally enjoying each other’s company—since they were unsure when the three of them would be together once again.

Eventually, Mary insisted that they all get to bed—especially Sam, since he had a long journey ahead of him. Dean watched from outside the bedroom door as Mary tucked Sammy in. It wasn’t something she had done for a few years now—not since Sam had insisted that he was too big for it now. But there were no such complaints today. Mary smoothed down his overly-long hair, and placed a kiss of his forehead. Dean could see the tears that she was barely holding back by the light of the candle. As she leaned over to blow the candle out, Dean heard Sam’s voice, “I’m scared, Mom.”

“Oh baby,” Mary Winchester said, holding her youngest son. “It’ll be okay, Oh god, Sammy…”

Dean couldn’t bear to hear anymore. He walked out into the main room, wiping away the tears on his face. His gaze fell on the sword, chain mail and the scroll, that were still lying on the table and his face hardened. All of a sudden it was as if everything clicked into place and Dean knew exactly what he had to do.

He snuck back down the corridor to make sure that Sam and Mary were both asleep, before determinedly making his way into his own room. He quickly grabbed a rucksack and stuffed it with his clothing. Once that was done, he wrote a note for his mom and his brother, telling them not to worry—and not to come after him. He placed the note on the table in the place where the armor and the sword used to be. These, he donned on himself—taking a moment to appreciate the fact that his father’s armor fit him perfectly, despite the fact that he was an omega. _Take that, Zachariah_ , he thought.

He added a few loaves of bread, some cheese and a couple of apples to keep his going on his journey. Once everything was packed, he glanced back down the hallway where his mother and Sammy slumbered. He was going to miss them. But this was the right thing to do. And who knows, maybe he’d even make it back.

He spared a quick look at the altar to the Family Angels that his mother always believed in. Dean didn’t have too much faith himself, but he figured it never hurt to have some extra help. So, he sent up a prayer to the Family Angels to watch over him, before walking out the door.

He collected his horse, Impala from the stables, trying his best to keep her as quiet as possible. His last stop before he left town was the Tran’s general store. The place was locked, and there were no lights within, but Dean had spent enough time in the store to know that the back door never closed properly. So, he made his way in to grab a few bars of the scent-neutralizing soap that Mrs. Tran sold. It wouldn't help him smell like an Alpha, but it would mask his omega scent—which was more than he could ask for in his current situation. Hopefully, no one would question why his scent was so tame.

Once his supplies were gathered, and Dean was actually facing the prospect of having to leave—he felt a twinge of doubt. He knew that if he was outed as an omega in a camp full of testosterone filled Alphas—it couldn't possibly end well for him. Not to mention the dishonor that would befall his family.

But then Dean heard Sammy’s voice in his head, telling his mother at his most vulnerable moment that he was scared and that stiffened his resolve.

Anything for him. 

 


	3. Interlude: The Angels

Mary Winchester had always said to her children that the Angels were watching over them. She had meant this in a purely metaphorical manner, of course. But there was more truth to her words than she was aware of.

A long time ago, in the beginning of all things, each family was assigned a guardian angel to watch over them. In times of great need, the angel would manifest themselves into the world and guide the human through their trials and tribulations. The angels were greatly revered by their mortals and given places of honor in the family shrines. However, as time passed, many of the families grew to take their angels for granted. They expected the angels to meddle in everyday affairs, rather than calling upon them in desperate times.

The angels felt that their true purpose as guardians had been lost, and thus, they decided to step back from humanity. They vowed not to interfere in human quarrels until there came such a time that a person of true heart needed aid. As for the humans, the times when the angels roamed among them became things of myth and legend. Some families continued to keep the statues of their angels in their shrines, but never quite understood their significance.

* * *

As Dean Winchester rode out from his family home, to face unknown dangers, he remained unaware of the eyes watching his progress down the road. The eyes watched until he was nothing but a small speck in the distance. Once the man could no longer be seen, a small figure darted out from the family shrine. It was a small man, about the size of a human hand with beautiful golden-brown wings sprouting from his back.

The angel, for that is what he was, fluttered off—but not to any physical space in this world, but onto a higher plane where the angels reside. Since the angels had decided to step back from humanity, most of them had begun to get quite lazy from their sedentary lifestyle. In fact, some of the more powerful angels had fallen into a deep slumber from which they could not be easily awoken.

The angel with the golden-brown wings spared a moment to sneer at these slumbering angels, before fluttering into the main hall where some of the more active members of his brethren were gathered.

“I think I’ve found him!” he announced, as he stepped into the room. “The Chosen One!”

His pronouncement was met with smattering of murmurs, none of which sounded overly enthusiastic. In fact, a couple of the angels even seemed to be rolling their eyes at him.

“Oh dear, Gabriel! Don’t you ever get tired of hopping back and forth from Earth? I would have thought you’d have given up on those mud monkeys by now…” said Uriel, one of the larger angels.

“Look, I know I’ve been wrong in the past, but you’ve gotta believe me—this is the one!” Gabriel replied, looking around in a pleading manner. Gabriel was one of the few angels who still left the angel plane in search of the one with a true heart. He was tired of the angels’ way of life, now that they were no longer guardians. He didn’t want to end up in an eternal slumber because of boredom. So, he kept up the search for that one human of pure heart who would need their aid. After watching Dean Winchester, he had little doubt that the spunky omega would be the one.

Although most of the angels were skeptical of Gabriel’s claims, they did listen as he explained Dean’s situation and why he would need guidance from an angel. “Can you imagine it? That poor omega boy trying to navigate through a camp of hot-headed Alphas—and he’s doing all of it for his brother. You can’t come up with a better choice than Dean. He deserves our help!”

By the end of Gabriel’s tirade, most of the angels were starting to nod in agreement with him. The angels weren’t easily swayed into action, but it seemed that Dean’s story was touching to all of them.

“You speak truly, Gabriel,” said a red-headed angel named Anna. “Dean seems to be true of heart. He is worthy of our help—with a war of this magnitude, he should receive the help of only our best—definitely one of the archangels!”

At this there was a clamoring among the angels, as they began to shout out the names of the archangel they believed would be best suited for the job.

“It has to be Lucifer, of course! His cunning would be of great use to Dean in hiding his identity!” one of the angels shouted.

“No, no! It has to be Raphael. His abilities in Healing will come in handy during a battle!”

“You’re all idiots—are you forgetting that Michael is the best military strategist we have? Who better to aid the young Winchester boy than him?”

In the midst of the arguments, Gabriel tried to pipe up, “Uhm. Actually, I was thinking that _I_ would be the one to assist Dean—since I was the one who found him and everything…”

All at once, the angels broke out into an uproarious laughter. Uriel said in a condescending manner, “Poor Gabriel. I know you used to be an archangel, but did you forget that you’ve played one too many tricks over the years? You are demoted angel Gabriel. How could you possibly help the mud monkey?”

“But…”

“Sorry Gabriel, but your job is to act as a messenger between here and Earth and to waken the archangels when the time is right—not to be a guardian yourself” said Anna, a bit more kindly.

Gabriel grumbled to himself as the angels mostly ignored him, in favor of a vote to decide on the archangel to be sent after Dean. After much debating, it was decided that Michael was the best choice. Gabriel was dispatched to wake Michael up and inform him of his duty.

The angel fluttered away, once again muttering about the unfairness of the whole situation. As he landed by Michael’s home, he couldn’t help but glare resentfully at the large, sleeping form. Since he was an archangel, Michael was much larger than Gabriel, and his wingspan was quite impressive as well.

_I could do this job just as well as this idiot could!_ Gabriel thought to himself.

_Wait a minute. I could totally do this job! Maybe I just don’t wake Michael up—I go after Dean myself. Help him win the war and come back home a freaking hero! I could even be an archangel again!_

Mind reeling with all the exciting possibilities, Gabriel snuck out of Michael’s residence and flew back down to Earth. If he was going to do this right, he would need to properly introduce himself to his charge.

_Look out Dean Winchester, help has arrived._


	4. The Meeting

Dean had been pushing Impala pretty hard through most of early morning hours. He wanted to put as much distance as he could between himself and the village, so that by the time Sammy and his mom woke up, he would be too far away for them to catch up. He knew that despite his warnings in the note he’d left behind, his family would try to come after him. So, his best bet was to reach the Camp before that could happen. Once he was there, he knew he’d be out of their reach—because they couldn’t exactly bring him home without outing him as an Omega, and doing that would spell certain death for him.

He hated the fact that he had to resort to such underhanded ways to _get away_ from his family. If anything, Dean wanted nothing more than to turn his horse around and run straight back to them. But if he didn’t do this, then it’d be Sammy who would be going off. Little Sammy—who wasn’t the typical hyper-aggressive Alpha—who was the most kind-hearted, caring person that Dean knew. Going to war would break him, and Dean would never allow that to happen.

By the time that noon came around, and the sun was hanging high up in the sky, Dean had managed to ride through a couple of the neighboring villages, and hit the main road that would take him to the training camp that was located near the borders of the kingdom. He wasn’t as far away as he would have liked, but he could feel Impala’s strength beginning to flag underneath him and his own muscles were growing quite sore. So, he slowed the horse down to a trot, and began to scan to road for a place to rest while they both recovered.

Eventually, he spotted a small copse of trees that sort of grew together to form a nice canopy. It would allow him to stay in the shade, which was definitely a plus because he was pretty sure his tunic was soaked through with sweat. There was even a small creek that ran through the woods, which meant that he could freshen up, a bit and allow Impala to cool down. Satisfied with the spot, Dean nudged his horse towards the thicket letting out a sigh of relief as he felt an immediate coolness in the shade.

He dismounted neatly, rubbing the sore muscles in his back, which were protesting every movement. Although Dean had spent a lot of time on horseback, it was usually on the fairly flat land surrounding his village, and at a pretty gentle pace. The hard gallop that Impala had been running at for the past few hours really did a number on him. Dean unsaddled the horse and gave her a good rub down before allowing her to graze for a bit. He had packed some oats for her to eat in the saddlebags, but decided to save those for when she really needed the energy boost. For now, he pulled out two apples from his rucksack, and fed her one as he bit into the other. The apple was accompanied by a bit of cheese and a biscuit before Dean felt full. He drank some water out of his canteen, and refilled it with water from the creek.

The water was pretty cool to the touch, and Dean shrugged out of the chainmail and tunic before splashing himself with it. He gave the tunic a quick wash as well, scrubbing it with the scent-neutralizing soap he’d taken from the Tran’s store, before hanging it up from a branch to dry out. He knew most of his clothing would still carry the lingering scent of omega, but he hoped to explain that as a result of living with an omega brother and mother.

After making sure that Impala was grazing safely, Dean decided to lie down for a quick afternoon nap. He’d stayed up late with Sam and his mother last night, and then ridden out right after. Until now, his nerves had been too frazzled to even think about going to sleep, but now, slowly the exhaustion was starting to creep up on him. Dean found himself a soft patch of grass to roll out his bedding on and lay down. He glanced over at his horse again, and briefly considered tying her lead rope to a tree so that she couldn’t wander away, but before that thought could fully materialize into action, Dean was drifting off to sleep.

 

* * *

 

Dean was startled awake by a loud whinny from Impala. He immediately scrambled up, hand reaching for his father’s sword as his eyes darted around the clearing trying to figure out what had happened. He saw that his saddlebags and his rucksack remained untouched, as well as the tunic and chainmail that he had laid out to dry. That was definitely a relief, since he didn’t exactly have the coin to buy a new set of supplies. His horse seemed to fixated on a small cluster of stones by the creek. She seemed to be sniffing around the area and pawing the ground in agitation.

“What’s the matter, girl?” Dean asked, as he unsheathed his sword. He fumbled a little bit, trying to wield the damn thing. It was much heavier than he had expected, and the length was a bit awkward, forcing him to hold it away from his body, to avoid accidentally stabbing himself. He had only ever held small daggers and knives before—and even those were only meant to skin small game. Holding a sword seemed to be a whole new ballgame.

He slowly approached the spot that got Impala so riled up, sword raised at ready. He couldn’t quite imagine what could be hiding in such a small location besides a squirrel or rabbit or some other game animal—which wouldn’t have spooked Impala. As he approached the spot, he heard a voice call out,

“Hey there, Dean-o! Mind calling off this big beast of yours? She’s not exactly helping me make the best first impression!”

Dean shouted in alarm and almost dropped his sword as he searched his surroundings for the source of the voice. His alarm only seemed to agitate Impala even more, and she huffed at the gathering of rocks, stomping her hooves on the ground in front of it. As she kicked up the dirt with her feet, Dean could have sworn he saw a small figure hiding behind one of the larger boulders—a small figure with _wings_.

“WHAT THE HELL?!” Dean said in surprise, before reaching out to put a calming hand on his horse. “Whoa, girl. It’s okay. It’s okay, calm down now.”

He ran a soothing hand down her neck, as he pulled her away from the rocks, allowing for the dust to settle down once more. As he did, the small winged man poked his head out from his hiding place, and flew up to the top of the rock pile. Dean could only stare in awe, mouth hung open in utter shock.

“I’ve got to be dreaming!” he said, mostly to himself. “Or I’ve gone insane. Oh my god, oh my god…”

“Calm down, Dean-o! You’re wide awake and although your sanity is pretty questionable, I promise you that I am very real. Name’s Gabriel—and I’ve been assigned to be your guardian angel, pleased to meet ya! I had a whole big production planned out for our meeting, there was gonna be flashing lights and a pretty impressive set of fireworks, but your beast over there kinda ruined it for me…Too bad too, it would be been freaking epic, I tell you—”

“Whoa, whoa! Hold on!” Dean said, interrupting the guy—the _angel_. “You’re an angel? You’re kidding me! I thought that was just a legend, this is impossible!”

“I’m a little pint-sized fella with wings. Pretty sure ‘impossible’ kinda flew out the window there, champ.” Gabriel said, a small grin on his face. 

“Well I still haven’t written out the idea that this is all just a really vivid hallucination…Angel? Really?!” Dean said, running his hand absently through his hair, as he tried to wrap his mind around the whole concept. “Man, Sammy’s gonna freak when he hears about this.”

At the mention of Sam’s name, Dean seemed to snap himself back to reality, and the fact that this time tomorrow he’d be at the Training Camp and that he might never see his brother again. He gave the angel a questioning glance, as if sizing him up.

“So you’re here to help me, huh? Well no offense, but you’re kinda…uhm, tiny? I don’t see how you’re gonna be able to fight Abaddon’s little minions.”

“Hey! I resent that!” Gabriel said, puffing out his chest as if to make himself look bigger. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you that size don’t matter, Dean-o? Besides, I’m a _guardian_ angel, kiddo. My job is to look after you—not fight. I’m gonna make sure that this hare-brained scheme of yours to dress yourself up as an Alpha isn’t gonna blow up in your face!”

Dean’s face fell slightly at Gabriel’s comment. He had kind of hoped that the angel would be able to just flap his wings or something and just end the whole damn war. But he was in a desperate enough situation that he couldn’t exactly turn away a potential ally—despite his misgivings about the angel’s usefulness.

“Okay, I guess it’s better than nothing. Besides, I don’t think this is such a stupid idea, you know. I’ve got scent-blocking soap, so I won’t smell like an omega. I might not be as huge as most Alphas, but I’ve got muscles, and I can learn to fight—they’ll just think I’m a runt or something. Plus, I’ve been around enough Alphas to know how to posture like one—just grunt a lot and act like I own everything. That oughta cover it!” Dean said, lowering himself to ground to get a better view of Gabriel. He sheathed his sword to avoid any injuries to himself.

“Yeah, that all sounds fine squirt—but what are you gonna do when your Heat hits, huh? Cause I don’t think the Alphas are gonna overlook that little fact.”

“SHIT!” Dean buried his face in his hands, squeezing his eyes shut in frustration. His stupid Heat. How could he have forgotten about that? It was something that every Omega had to deal with once a month after coming of age, and despite repeated assurances from his mother and Mrs. Tran that it was a ‘ _natural process_ ’ and that he had nothing to be ashamed of, Dean couldn’t help be mortified by the whole idea.

He hated that once a month his body basically betrayed him and forced him to act so freaking submissive. He hated that for almost three days, he was forced to stay in bed, pleasuring himself with a fake knot, and wishing more than anything that it was something more real. He hated that the merest smell of an Alpha had him so freaking slick. And now, he was about to enter a place that would be saturated with the smell of them.

“Oh my god, I’m so fucking _stupid_. I can’t even protect Sammy right!”

He would have no choice but to turn back now. He would have to watch as his brother went off to war instead—and maybe never came back.

“Oh god, Gabe—you have to help me! I can’t—I can’t let Sammy do this. You’re a freaking angel man, there’s gotta be something you can do?!”

A look of deep sympathy entered Gabriel’s eyes, and he fluttered his wings landing on Dean’s knee. He patted him and said in a soft voice, “Don’t you worry about it, Dean. I told you I’m here to help, right?”

Dean looked down at Gabe, lowering his hands slightly. There was a cautious hope entering his eyes. “You can make the Heat go away? Can you do that?”

“No, Dean-o. Your Heat is a natural process—”

Dean scoffed slightly, but quickly quieted at the look that Gabe shot him.

“Like I said _natural process_ and there’s nothing I can do to interfere with that. But I can make it so that it’s a little more controllable. You’ll have to keep using that scent-blocking stuff, cause there’s nothing I can do about the pheromones and you’ll still have to take care of your uhm…needs…but you won’t feel the compulsion to bend over and submit to those knot-heads. All that nonsense about needy Omegas never really felt right to me anyway.”

Dean shot Gabe a thankful smile. It still wasn’t the most ideal situation, obviously. But it definitely reduced the risks that Dean would be taking, and right now he would be grateful for that.

“That would be great, Gabe. Thank you!” Dean said, “So I guess you’re sticking with me and Impala, huh?”

“Ugh, yeah, I forgot about your beast. Just make sure she doesn’t eat me or something, eh? Remember, you can replace the horse, but the guardian angel is one of a kind sweetheart!”

Dean rolled his eyes at Gabriel—for an angel, he seemed pretty informal about everything. He still couldn’t believe that he was getting help from an actual angel. It made him wonder if more people had their own guardian angels, and just didn’t speak openly about them. But he also knew from the stories that Mary had told him, almost all the angels had left their world a long time ago. But before he could think too much about it, Gabe's voice cut through his thoughts.

“So, ready to go Dean-o? We’ve got lots of ground to cover and then, oh just a war to win, I think we’d better get going, huh?”

**Author's Note:**

> You can always follow me on tumblr at novicecas.tumblr.com


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